Long-established plans

Stratford-on-Avon District Council does not currently have an adopted Core Strategy development plan to cover the period from 2008-2028 that determines the number of new houses and their preferred location in the District for this period. This is still at a relatively early stage in its planning and will need to be altered in light of the appeal decision about our plans for Shottery.

So the housing policy still in place is the District Council's Local Plan adopted in 2006, which actually established and promoted the principle of building to the west of Shottery back in 2003. At that time, the Council's "Development Principles" detailed how the development should be designed.

These development principles identified a requirement for a relief road to the west of the town, new homes, a new coach and car access to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, traffic calming measures around the town, six hectares of public parkland, a convenience store, a new primary school, areas of woodland and a new health centre.

These principles were considered necessary in order to help relieve congestion around Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and the centre of town, deal with over-subscription at St Andrews primary school, provide greater public access to open land on this side of town, provide amenities like shops and a health centre closer to where people need them and provide homes for the town’s young workers, so they don’t have to move out of the area.

At the time that our proposals were first announced in response to the Council’s 2003 brief, the plans were welcomed by local Councillors and seen as a solution to the problems of visitor traffic in Shottery and as a major opportunity for a substantial amount of open space to be made available for public use.

These solutions still apply today and can all be delivered alongside a scheme that delivers a significant proportion of Stratford upon Avon’s housing needs close to the main employment centre in the district.

In October 2009, we submitted a planning application that would deliver the identified components. However, Stratford-on-Avon District Council decided to change its strategic approach and subsequently refused planning permission in 2011. Bloor Homes appealed the decision and a Government Planning Inspector held a Public Inquiry in April and May 2012.

In October 2012 the appeal was upheld by the Secretary of State who supported the Inspector's reccomendation that planning permission is to be granted for the West of Stratford development proposals at Shottery.

Please click on the links on the left to find out more about our proposals.